


An Empty World, Pure and Bright

by Evie_Thameskeepey



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (kinda), Endgame, Forgiveness, Gen, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, Reflection on a Cutscene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 00:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20034670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evie_Thameskeepey/pseuds/Evie_Thameskeepey
Summary: They've done it. Sora, Donald, Goofy - they've fought Xehanort until neither side can anymore. All that follows is quiet in the shadow of Kingdom Hearts. But Sora doesn't expect the source of all the darkness and anguish in his life to be a mere old man.





	An Empty World, Pure and Bright

One, two, three seconds passed without another strike. Time enough for two pants of breath, which echoed across the platform. Two heartbeats that pulsed in his eardrums. Heartbeats that reminded Sora that somehow, because of Donald and Goofy, he was alive.

He heard the clatter of a Keyblade – the x-blade – and when his body caught up to his mind, Sora looked up to see that worst of men, Xehanort, fall to the ground. 

They had done it. But he couldn’t feel it. Sora could only feel his heartbeat, his panting, and the keyblade in his hand. That and Donald and Goofy’s tension as they watched for any last burst of dark strength from their enemy.

“Why...how?!” Xehanort cried.

“It’s over now! You lost!” Sora heard his anger reverberate around him. It was alone in its echo.

Xehanort struggled to push himself up. 

“No, look…,” he panted. “You are...too late.”

“Are we really?” Goofy asked behind Sora.

“I don’t know!” Donald replied.

A pang struck Sora’s heart. Would he see Riku again? And Kairi? And everyone in all the worlds who his heart reached out to? Maybe this was the last place he would ever see. He was only glad Donald and Goofy were by his side.

“What’s gonna happen?” Sora demanded.

As Xehanort struggled to his feet, Sora and his friends tensed. 

“A purge…” the old man said. “This world will be returned whence it started...

“The world began in darkness. And from that darkness came light. From the light came the people, and the people had _hearts.” _

A few minutes ago he was darkness incarnate. Now he was an old man telling a story. 

“Evil burgeoned in those hearts, begetting more darkness. And the darkness spread across the world, like a plague. The light, the symbol of the world’s hope, was devoured by shadow, leaving nothing but ruin and utter failure. 

“But the first light, the light of Kingdom Hearts, it can give us a new start. An empty world, pure and bright.” 

Sora realized how quiet it was. The past several hours were filled with the clangs of weapons and cries of strength, sobs and words of encouragement, shouts of anger and calls for justice. This was the first quiet moment since he had nearly…fallen into darkness. 

Sora could feel the echo of Xehanort’s voice dissipate into nothing. There was no more fighting. Only talking in the shadow of Kingdom Hearts. 

“It wasn’t your decision to make,” Sora said, when Xehanort had finished. 

“Then whose was it?” Xehanort returned. “The world needs someone to stand up and lead. Someone strong, to stop the weak from polluting the world with their endless darkness. Someone to dictate their destiny.” 

“If so, you’re not that person,” Sora said. “A real leader knows that destiny is beyond his control, and _accepts_ that.” 

Sora realized he didn’t know Xehanort. Not like Terra, Aqua, and Ventus surely did. And not knowing him meant he didn’t really hate him. He had every right; he had in fact burned with hatred when Kairi was stolen away and drowned in sorrow when Riku was swallowed by darkness protecting him. But those awful feelings fueled his love of them and all his friends, the fire that roared for them to all be free to live in the light. And if even Riku could forgive _Ansem,_ the man who he knew too well, who had ruined his adolescence, then why should Sora hate someone he didn’t know, who had reasons, however wrong, for his actions? In any case, Sora despised what Xehanort and the Organization had done, but he didn’t hate them. 

Amidst all Sora’s indignant and heartfelt thoughts, the old man chuckled. “You remind me of an old friend,” Xehanort said. 

_‘Friend’_ resonated with him. It was the last word in the last gentle tone Sora could ever expect to hear from Xehanort. His words eroded Sora’s righteous anger like the tide, coming in and out with his breath. 

The crossing of blades was finally over. It was Sora and Donald and Goofy with a mere old man, waiting for the end. And while he really, truly longed for his other friends at this moment, Sora found it in his heart to think, “I’m okay with waiting for the end of the world with you." 

**Author's Note:**

> Rest in Peace Rutger Hauer -u-


End file.
